Salmond decries ‘age of irresponsibility’ but lacks will to regulate Scots professions and protect consumers

Its practicing what you preach, Alex … or at least what your Justice Secretary is preaching …

Scotland on Sunday reports :

Salmond slams 'age of irresponsibility'

Published Date: 19 October 2008

ALEX Salmond will today attempt to launch his vision for a "new age of responsibility" as Scotland struggles with the financial crisis.

The First Minister will cite Gordon Brown and his predecessors, Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher, as the authors of the economic downturn.

Salmond will say that Brown and Blair wasted tens of billions of pounds on Trident nuclear weapons, PFI and the illegal war in Iraq.

"Where did this age of irresponsibility come from?" the SNP leader will say. "Who broke down the barriers in the financial sector? Who presided over the inflation of assets values? Who allowed the spivs and speculators of the derivatives market to be totally unregulated. It may have had something to do with the occupant of 10 and 11 Downing Street over the last 11 long years."

Iain Gray, the Labour leader, responded, saying: "Alex Salmond is only making himself look foolish with his petty attacks on Gordon Brown. These are serious times for serious people".

RAIL LINK

THE SNP has backed plans for a high-speed rail link between London and Scotland as part of a bid to cut short-haul flights.

The party hit out at plans tabled by the Conservatives to build a line, initially only as far as Leeds.

SNP ministers are now proposing talks with the Government to discuss plans for a high-speed link. Such a link could feasibly cut journey times between Edinburgh and London to just two and a half hours.

VITAL ASSETS

POST Offices across Scotland threatened with closure should be saved, the SNP conference declared yesterday.

The Royal Mail says it can no longer afford to keep many post offices open, particularly in rural parts of the country.

SNP MSP Jamie Hepburn said: "The Post Office is a vital community asset, and their value cannot simply be measured on a balance sheet."

CRISIS POINT

SNP deputy leader, Nicola Sturgeon yesterday described Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy as an "embarrassment" after Murphy had pointed to how small nations near Scotland had suffered during the economic crisis. "Let me tell our friends in Norway, Ireland and Iceland: Jim Murphy is an embarrassment. He doesn't speak for Scots and he doesn't speak for Scotland," said Sturgeon.